T.I.M.E. Mentor Program

Mission:
The Project T.I.M.E. Mentor Program strives to foster positive relationships between public
school students and T.I.M.E mentors. The mentors seek to support families and help improve the
students' chance of succeeding academically and socially.Description:
The T.I.M.E. Mentor Program matches trained community volunteers with elementary and
middle school students in cooperation with the schools' teachers and intervention specialists. The
T.I.M.E. volunteers meet with their students once or twice per week during the lunch hour.
Mentors and students play on the playground, assist with schoolwork, read, or do other activities
together. The mentors serve as role models and become stable, reliable friends to their students.
Volunteers mentor from October to early June during the academic year.Our Objectives:
• To provide positive role models for youth.
• To enhance the self-esteem of students.
• To encourage the academic success of students in at-risk situations.
Our Goal:
• Increase positive attitudes toward school
• Higher grades
• Improve relationships with peers
• Better able to express feelings
• Develop higher levels of self confidence

As a mentor, you are among many special volunteers who are committed to sharing ideas and wisdom to encourage a student toward a more positive direction in his or her life.
Mentor's Role
A mentor is a caring adult, a friend who listens, understands, responds and offers support and advice. Many students have a greater need for positive role models than for critics. This is especially true for students with low self-esteem. Mentors can be extremely effective sources of learning. Their roles can assist in numerous ways, including:
• Providing a model of correct behavior for a student to emulate.
• Developing a positive belief in the benefits of education.
• Clarifying values that lead to more positive attitudes.
• Developing problem-solving skills.
• Assisting in the development of short- and long-term goals.
• Providing consistency in chaotic situations.
Length of MatchThe recommended time period that a mentor meets with the student is once a week a 3 to 5 visits per month for the entire school year. It is very important that the visits be consistent. The mentor and school usually decide the day of the visits.

Mentor Guidelines
All mentors must complete a Volunteer Application
that is used to complete a background check. Once the mentor is
approved the school coordinator is contacted and the mentor/student
assignment can be made.

TrainingEvery mentor must attend a training session. The training session is
usually held at the T.I.M.E. Mentor Office. Training is conducted by
the Program Coordinator.

Initiating MatchingAfter the application is processed and approved, the Program
Coordinator will meet with the counselor at the participating school to
make the Mentor/Mentee match. When matching students, the coordinator
starts with those students who are "ready to succeed" and not with the
most troubled students who may need professional intensive counseling.
Things to consider are similarities in backgrounds, hobbies, family
composition and career interests in matching students with mentors. The
coordinator will send a recommendation letter and consent form to the
student's parent/guardian.